Sunday, September 19, 2010

Our Favorite Kodiak Berry

Sounds like lots of people liked the blueberry blog. Yes, our blueberries are great.

We also have low bush cranberries that grow on the mountains, though I've never gone to pick those.

By far, though, this is our favorite: The Salmonberry.

Maybe they call them that, because they look like red salmon.
Here it is, early in the season, June to early July.

In late July and through August. Just right to eat!

The darker, the sweeter.

Its bigger than a a raspberry. But, less tart, and has a lot of more liquid inside. So when you go on a hike, you can just pick them off the branches and get a "pick me up". In fact, you really don't need to take water if you are going in a short to moderate hike. You have sweetness, tartness, and water all in one.

We are not the only ones who love them, though. I've heard that bears occasionally abandon fishing to find a bunch of Salmonberries and take a break from all that protein.

So watch that there is not a furry picker in the bushes wanting the same thing you want. And be careful of what you put in your mouth..... 'cause slugs like to crawl on and in them after a rain.


They are great to put on your cereal in the morning. Or make a jelly for your toast. Syrup for your ice cream or bread pudding! So get youself a bunch and get canning.

Here is how you do it: Freeze them. Then rinse them (....'cause its easier to remove the occasional baby slug when they are frozen).

Cook, mash, and can them.

(P.S. Maybe this is why they really call them salmonberries:
when mashed for canning, they do look like salmon eggs)



Anyway, now you have a special treat for your breakfasts.

It's a reminder in winter of why we live here!

1 comment:

Yvonne Kizerian said...

Do I get some of that for Christmas? Or how 'bout for watching your dog for 4 weeks? Sounds like a fair trade to me.. What do you think??